Bataliony Chłopskie
The Bataliony Chłopskie ( German peasant battalions , BCh ) was an underground organization of the Polish peasant party Stronnictwo Ludowe in 1940-1945.
Founded in 1940 as "Chłopska Straż" (Farmer's Guard ), it had the code name Chłostra . In the spring of 1941 it was renamed Bataliony Chłopskie. Its commanding officer was Franciszek Kamiński from October 8, 1940 until the end of the war .
In 1944 the BCh had around 160,000 fighters. Their goal was to protect the Polish rural population from the terror of the German occupiers and the forced resettlement ( Aktion Zamość ). Her area of operation included all of Poland with the exception of the Pomeranian , Wilno , Nowogrod and Polesie Voivodeships .
In May 1943 a merger with the Armia Krajowa was agreed, but could not be fully implemented.
In 1944 some of the units had joined the Armia Ludowa against orders and then strengthened the ranks of the Milicja Obywatelska and the Polish People's Army . Most of them, however, remained loyal to the Polish government- in- exile in London. In March 1945 the peasant battalions were disbanded and their units were advised to join the Polish People's Army .
